Move-Out Cleaning Checklist: Get Your Deposit Back
A move-out clean is a deep clean on an empty home. It reaches inside cabinets, closets, the oven, and the refrigerator.
California landlords can deduct for cleaning beyond normal wear. Kitchen appliances and bathroom grout draw the most deductions. Both take hours to fix and both show up in photos.
Work through the list below room by room.
Clean after the furniture leaves
Order matters. Movers first, cleaners second.
Furniture hides the floor, the baseboards, and the walls behind it. Clean before the move and you pay to clean twice.
Leave a two to four hour window between the truck leaving and the cleaner arriving. Keep the power and water on until the clean is done.
Kitchen
This room decides most deposit disputes.
- Inside the oven, including racks and glass
- Inside the refrigerator and freezer, shelves and drawers out
- Behind and under the refrigerator and stove
- Range hood filter degreased
- Inside the microwave
- Inside and outside all cabinets and drawers
- Countertops and backsplash
- Sink, faucet, and drain
- Dishwasher interior and door seal
- Floor, including under appliances
Bathrooms
- Toilet inside, outside, base, and behind
- Tub and shower scrubbed to remove soap scum
- Grout and caulk lines
- Shower door tracks
- Sink, counter, and faucet
- Mirror and medicine cabinet, inside included
- Exhaust fan cover
- Under-sink cabinet
- Floor and baseboards
Bedrooms and closets
- Inside every closet, shelves and rods
- Closet floors and corners
- Baseboards
- Window sills and tracks
- Interior windows
- Door frames and doors
- Light switches and outlet plates
- Ceiling fan blades
- Floor vacuumed or mopped
Living areas
- Baseboards throughout
- Walls spot-cleaned for scuffs
- Window sills, tracks, and blinds
- Interior windows
- Vent covers and air returns
- Light fixtures
- Fireplace surround
- Floors, corners included
Whole home
- Every light fixture and bulb working
- Air filter replaced
- Cobwebs cleared from ceiling corners
- Smoke detector covers dusted
- Patio, balcony, or garage swept
- Trash removed from the property
Leave nothing behind. An abandoned item can trigger a haul-away charge.
What landlords check first
Walk the unit like an inspector before you hand back keys.
- Inside the oven
- Inside the refrigerator
- Shower grout and glass
- Toilet base
- Baseboards
- Closet floors
- Window sills
- Kitchen cabinet interiors
Photograph each one after the clean. Date-stamped photos settle disputes fast.
Document everything
Take photos of every room after the clean, with the lights on. Wide shots plus close-ups of the eight spots above.
Keep your cleaning receipt. A receipt plus photos gives you a record if the landlord withholds.
Request a walkthrough before you turn in keys. California renters can ask for a pre-move-out inspection. That gives you a chance to fix issues before money comes out.
When to hire it out
A 3-bedroom move-out clean runs six to eight hours of work. Add the oven and the refrigerator and it grows.
You are also moving the same week. Most renters run out of time, not willingness.
Compare the cost against the deposit at risk. A withheld deposit tends to cost more than the clean.
What a Noblemaid move-out clean covers
A move-out clean strips the home back to empty. Inside every cabinet, drawer, and closet. The pantry, baseboards, window tracks, and door frames.
Move in and move out cleaning starts at $275. Move-out cleans take the longest of any tier. Every cabinet and pantry shelf gets done inside.
Inside the fridge and inside the oven are add-ons. They attach at booking, so ask for them when you call.
The price is flat. Tell us the square footage, bedrooms, and bathrooms. We text your price the same day. If the clean is not right, tell us within 24 hours. We re-clean at no charge.
Most Orange County homes get booked within two or three days. Same-day and next-day slots open up most weeks.
We serve 37 Orange County cities. Book now or call (949) 850-4333.
